When I was 10 years old my mother and I were moving from my old home. I had to make a pile of things I wanted, didn't want, and things to throw away. I came to an old rag doll named "Buddy." It had been in the back of my closet for as long as I could remember. It was an old doll that at one time resembled a young boy but time had taken its beauty away. The hair had fallen out, the woven skin wore through in places, and the nose was missing. It was an old doll, a forgotten present when I was a child and it was about to be thrown away.

I picked it up for one last look before I was going to toss it. Then in its age old denim overalls, I noticed a corner of paper sticking out from the center pocket. I pulled it out along with another folded piece. I opened the first note and saw a short letter:

To Alan,

My grandmother made this for me when I was just a year old. When I was a child, Buddy and I used to go everywhere together. We used to play cowboys and indians and courageously explored my mothers garden. But as time passed our adventures ended and I couldn't imagine giving him to anyone else but you. Maybe he'll be your best friend one day and maybe your son's as well.

Love Always,
David

David was my grandfather and he died in the 1970s well before I was born. I never knew either of my grandfathers and I only had but 2 photos of him. Suddenly he came alive in my heart and I imagined his voice reading the letter to my father.

I folded it back then I picked up the other note:

Dear Bill,

My father gave him to me when I was a child. When I was young he was my best friend. I took him with me to the store and long family vacations never letting him out of my sight. I outgrew him but he still has a place in my heart. Someday son you'll outgrow me and be on your own in life but I'll always be in your heart as Buddy is still in mine.

Your Father,
Greg

My father died in 1993 just 2 years earlier. After my mother and father divorced before my second birthday, he moved across the country and always sent me postcards and pictures before passing on in 1993. He was so far away that I only saw him a few times in my life. I was 10 and not having a father was tough. Looking at the old doll and the note, I began to realize that maybe he did see all of my games and smiled when I caught my first fish. Of course he had seen them all because he was alive and well in my heart and mind.

I began to cry because two people I never really knew suddenly were back if only for that fleeting instance. I told my mother about it and that night she began to tell me about the man I never knew. She realized how much Buddy meant to me so a friend of hers worked on him to make his old body new. He was restored and I couldn't have been happier.

So everytime I need to talk with my father or grandfather, I look at Buddy and his ageless smile. The doll watches over me much like my father and grandfather look at me from Heaven. I talk to him when I feel lonely or on Father's Day when I need his smile the most. I can only hope that one day Buddy will be able to pass his legacy on to my children.

Thank you for sharing this - it reminds us that we should cherish those we love while we are here. I agree about the kleenex. My dad passed this year - too early and suddenly - and anything I read like this just makes me sob.